Thursday, February 12, 2015

"Isn't experience more important than doctrine?"

But this is CCD basics. Mercy and its priority is a doctrine. Pastoral Disposition is simply applied doctrine. If doctrine doesn't matter, pastoral practice doesn't matter. The point is not to win souls in order to make the Church bigger -- we are not entrepreneurs or salesmen -- but to win should because the truth demands it.

6 comments:

Nearly all of these claims that Pastoralism excludes definitions/doctrines/dogma etc would require a dozen weather balloons be attached to them just so they could rise to the level of inanity.

Here is the Catholic Encyclopedia;

Pastoral theology is the science of the care of souls. This article will give the definition of pastoral theology, its relations to other theological sciences, its history, sources, and contents.

Definition

Pastoral theology is a branch of practical theology; it is essentially a practical science. All branches of theology, whether theoretical or practical, purpose in one way or another to make priests "the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God" (1 Corinthians 4:1). Pastoral theology presupposes other various branches; accepts the apologetic, dogmatic, exegetic, moral, juridical, ascetical, liturgical, and other conclusions reached by the ecclesiastical student, and scientifically applies these various conclusions to the priestly ministry.

Relation to other theological sciences

Dogmatic theology establishes the Church as the depository of revealed truth and systematizes the deposit of faith which Christ entrusted to His Church to hand down to all generations; pastoral theology teaches the priest his part in this work of Catholic and Christian tradition of revealed truth. Moral theology explains the laws of God and of the Church, the means of grace and hindrances thereto; pastoral theology teaches the practical bearing of these laws means, and hindrances upon the daily life of the priest, alone and in touch with his people. Canon law collects, correlates, and co-ordinates the laws of the Church; pastoral theology applies those laws to the care of souls. In brief, pastoral theology begins, where the other theological sciences leave off; takes the results of them all and makes these results effective for the salvation of souls through the ministry of the priesthood established by Christ.

It was a friendly joke on your line, "Nearly all of these claims ...would require a dozen weather balloons be attached to them just so they could rise to the level of inanity." Per the linked picture, Rome seemingly anticipated this and complied!